Ruby Lisa Alexander-Lindo

Publications of Ruby Lisa Alexander-Lindo

• Prevalence of injuries and reporting of accidents among health care workers at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

  Authors: Kurt Vaz, Donovan McGrowder, Tazhmoye Crawford, Ruby Lisa Alexander-Lindo, Rachael Irving

  International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health. 01/2010; 23(2):133-43.

  This study investigated the knowledge, awareness and practices of health care workers towards universal precautions at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The study also examined theThis study investigated the knowledge, awareness and practices of health care workers towards universal precautions at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The study also examined the prevalence of injuries experienced by health care workers, as well as incidence of accidents and compliance with post-exposure prophylaxis. A cross sectional survey was conducted in September and October 2007. A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was provided to two hundred health care workers including medical doctors, medical technologists, nurses and porters to assess knowledge and practices regarding universal precautions, prevalence of injuries and incidence of accidents. Almost two-thirds (62.3%) of the respondents were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents while one-third (33.2%) were unsure. All nurses were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents, followed by medical doctors (88%) and medical technologists (61.2%). The majority (81.5%) of the respondents experienced splashes from bodily fluid. Over three-quarters of medical doctors (78%) and two-thirds of nurses (64%) reported having experienced needle stick injuries, while the incidence among medical technologists was remarkably lower (26%). The majority of the respondents (59%) experienced low accident incidence while just over one-tenth (14%) reported high incidence. Eighty four respondents reported needle stick injuries; just under two-thirds (59.5%) of this group received post-exposure treatment. The study found that majority of health care workers were aware of policies and procedures for reporting accidents. Splashes from body fluids, needle stick injuries and cuts from other objects were quite prevalent among health care workers. There is a need for monitoring systems which would provide accurate information on the magnitude of needle stick injuries and trends over time, potential risk factors, emerging new problems, and the effectiveness of interventions at The University Hospital of the West Indies and other hospitals in Jamaica.

• Effect of the Fractions of the Hexane Bark Extract and Stigmast-4-en-3-one Isolated from Anacardium occidentale on Blood Glucose Tolerance Test in an Animal Model

  Authors: Ruby Lisa Alexander-Lindo, Errol Y.St.A. Morrison, Muraleedharan G Nair, Donovan A. McGrowder

  International Journal of Pharmacology. 01/2007;

  The study was undertaken to investigate the possible effect(s) of the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) and the fractions collected at different stages of the purificationThe study was undertaken to investigate the possible effect(s) of the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) and the fractions collected at different stages of the purification process on glucose tolerance in normoglycaemic dogs. The possible hypoglycaemic effect of stigmast-4-en-3-one isolated from the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale and cholest-4-en-3-one was also investigated. The hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale was administered at 300 mg kg^-1 Body Weight (BW) to normoglycaemic dogs followed by an oral glucose tolerance test. There was significant reduction in the fasting and postprandial blood glucose concentrations especially at the 1.0 and 2.0 h time points (p<0.05). Subsequent fractions of the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale showed a hypoglycaemic effect on fasting and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. A hypoglycaemic assay guided extraction, isolation and structure elucidation produced stigmast-4-en-3-one. Stigmast-4-en-3-one administered at 3 mg kg^-1 BW produced significant reductions in the postprandial blood glucose concentrations especially at the 1.5 h time point (p<0.05). Cholest-4-en-3-one at 3 mg kg^-1 BW (i.v.) was found to be more potent than stigmast-4-en-3-one at the 1.5 h time point (p<0.05). The results indicate that stigmast-4-en-3-one isolated from hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale possesses hypoglycaemic activity and this lends credence to the suggested use of this herb in the control and/or management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands.

• Hypoglycaemic effect of stigmast-4-en-3-one and its corresponding alcohol from the bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew).

  Authors: Ruby Lisa Alexander-Lindo, E Y St A Morrison, Muraleedharan G Nair

  Phytotherapy research : PTR. 06/2004; 18(5):403-7.

  Intravenous administration of the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) in normal, healthy dogs produced a significant lowering of the blood glucose levels. Pursuit of theIntravenous administration of the hexane extract of the bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) in normal, healthy dogs produced a significant lowering of the blood glucose levels. Pursuit of the hypoglycaemic principle(s) in the hexane extract resulted in the isolation and characterization of two compounds, stigmast-4-en-3-ol (1) and stigmast-4-en-3-one (2). These compounds were purified by chromatographic methods and the structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Both compounds produced significant hypoglycaemic activity after intravenous administration at a dose of 1.3 mg/kg body weight. The bark of the cashew plant, A. occidentale, exhibited a hypoglycaemic effect probably due to the presence of these compounds.